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Columbus residents looking to ride in luxury now have a “light” option.

Tucked among the 200-some Lincolns, Cadillacs and other vehicles that make up the city’s fleet
of licensed liveries is a 2013 Honda Fit.

Yes, the same Honda Fit that Edmunds.com described as “harking back to Honda’s early days when
tiny, nimble hatchbacks were its calling card” now carries a license as a luxury vehicle in
Columbus.

Approving the license didn’t come without some hesitation. At a Vehicle for Hire Board meeting
last month, chairwoman Ramona Patts voiced “concerns about the Fit.” That brought jokes from the
audience, including someone asking whether the car had straps to carry it around when you’re not
driving.

The board approved the license pending confirmation that the owner, Larry D. Walker, had
obtained state livery plates.

Last week, city license manager Thom Ibinson said the city received that confirmation.

State rules say that a livery vehicle must be operated for hire on an hourly basis through a
prearranged contract and seat nine or fewer passengers.

A
Dispatch reporter spotted a sign advertising parking for $5 for Cbus riders outside a
garage near the intersection of Front and Gay streets late last month.

COTA spokeswoman Lisa Knapp said the agency didn’t endorse the sign but doesn’t have a problem
with it, either.

“It’s a positive that shows people are using the Cbus as a way to connect with the different
areas Downtown,” she said. “Public transit contributes to economic development in a city.”

The Cbus is COTA’s only free line. It runs between the Short North and the Brewery District via
High and Front streets.

• • •

CoGo Bike Share has a “very big” announcement coming soon, but officials are tight-lipped as the
bicycle-sharing network heads toward its first anniversary.

CoGo launched in late July last year, and public officials have said they’re pleased with the
participation so far. Through June, CoGo riders had pedaled about 100,000 miles.

A first-anniversary party is planned for Friday, where Mayor Michael B. Coleman is expected to
make an announcement about the bike-share system to which the city has funneled about $2.3 million.
The city bought the equipment, and Portland, Ore.-based Alta Bicycle Share operates the system of
30 docking stations and 300 bicycles.

A company report says that Alta has 16,733 bicycles in its fleet in nine cities that include
Chicago, New York and Chattanooga, Tenn. CoGo was one of four systems added in 2013. Only one has
launched this year.